Fifa president Infantino confident VAR can have 'positive impact' after being given thumbs up for World Cup usage

The video technology was approved at the International Football Association Board's annual general meeting.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino is confident that VAR can have a positive impact. Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters

Video Assistant Referees (VAR) are set to be used at this year's World Cup in Russia after the system was unanimously approved on a permanent basis at the International Football Association Board's annual general meeting in Zurich.

Before making the decision, members of the game's law-making body (IFAB) were presented with the results of independent analysis of the use of VARs conducted by Belgian university KU Leuven since March 2016.

The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had one vote each, while Fifa, representing all other national federations, had four, with six required for a change in the laws.

"As of today, video assistant referees are part of football and this is certainly very important news," said Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who chaired the meeting.

Speaking at a news conference, Infantino continued: "Together with our colleagues we have taken some very important decisions today.

"We had, as you can imagine, a very intense morning, fully aware of our responsibility to take an important decision for football.

"This topic was discussed and debated for decades. VAR is good for football, is good for refereeing, it brings more fairness in the game and, for these reasons, we have decided to approve VAR."

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The IFAB confirmed the VAR will be used, with the aim of reducing unfairness caused by 'clear and obvious errors' or 'serious missed incidents', in relation to the following:
- Goal / no goal

- Penalty / no penalty

- Direct red card (not second yellow card)

- Mistaken identity (when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player)

Following the IFAB's unanimous approval, it is almost certain that the Fifa Council will sanction the use of the VAR system at this summer's World Cup in Russia when it meets in Colombia later this month, and Infantino is confident it will have a a positive effect.

"Of course it will have an impact on the World Cup and on the matches, and it will have a positive impact on the matches, this is what the studies show," he said.

"From the 1,000 matches, approximately, that were part of the experiment, the level of accuracy of the decisions taken by the referees increased to 99 per cent.

"It's almost perfect. Perfection in our world does not exist, but VAR certainly gets us closer.

"I was extremely sceptical personally on VAR, but we tested it, and I personally came quite a long way.

"I can guarantee our referees which will be at the World Cup will be ready. They have trained for the last two years."